A weak cold front was crossing through the region during the afternoon hours of August 1st. With a warm and unstable air mass in place, scattered thunderstorms developed.
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The episode as NWS ALY wrote it up.
A weak cold front was crossing through the region during the afternoon hours of August 1st. With a warm and unstable air mass in place, scattered thunderstorms developed. One thunderstorm briefly became severe, producing damage to trees and power lines in the city of Schenectady.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Albany, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 1, 12:51 PM EST, 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 151 PM EDT WED AUG 1 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAKENING COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON BRINGING AN INCREASED THREAT FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE IN TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY AND PERSIST THROUGH FRIDAY. ANOTHER WEAK COLD FRONT MIGHT TOUCH OFF A SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM LATE FRIDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 115 PM EDT...THE SFC PREFRONTAL TROUGH AHEAD OF A WEAK COLD FRONT IS MOVING INTO ERN NY AT THIS TIME. A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING IN THE VICINITY OF THE TROUGH. THE COLD FRONT IS NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE WITH H500 TEMPS ACTUALLY A DEGREE OR TWO WARMER OVER MI. HOWEVER...WITH SBCAPES GENERALLY IN THE 500-1200 J/KG RANGE WITH DECENT LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE WITH SFC DEWPTS IN THE 60S...A BAND OF TWO OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS LIKELY TO FORM IN ASSOCIATED WITH THESE BOUNDARIES. WE ARE NOT EXPECTED SVR WX...BUT A FEW COULD BE STRONG WITH SOME HVY DOWNPOURS OF RAINFALL. THE DEEP SHEAR IS RELATIVELY WEAK WITH 15-20 KTS...AND THE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE ONLY AROUND 6 C/KM. THE PWATS ARE IN THE 1.25" TO 1.66" RANGE /1.62" ON THE 12Z KALB SOUNDING/. SOME MUCH NEEDED IS POSSIBLE OVER THE FCST AREA. WE RETRENDED THE POPS TO CHC AND LIKELY VALUES IN THE MID TO LATE PM...AS MUCH OF THE MORNING WAS DRY. THE SUNSHINE OVER THE CAPITAL REGION WILL DIMINISH WITH THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND TROUGH. MAX TEMPS WERE NUDGED UP A DEGREE OR TWO. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... THE FRONT NOW LOOKS TO COMPLETELY FALL APART AS IT LIMPS BY THE REGION TONIGHT. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN AT THE SURFACE ALONG WITH SOME RISE IN MID LEVEL HEIGHTS. EXPECT A PARTIAL CLEARING SKY TONIGHT. HOWEVER...WITH A PRESUMED WET GROUND IN SPOTS...DECIDED TO INTRODUCE PATCHY FOG LATE OVERNIGHT INTO VERY EARLY THURSDAY. DID NOT ASSIGN ANY DENSITY...JUST CALL IT GENERIC PATCHY FOG. THURSDAY LOOKS TO BE A WARM ONE AS H850 TEMPS LOOK TO WARM TO BETWEEN +17C TO +18C. WITH MIXING TO ABOUT THE 4000 FEET...ALONG WITH A GOOD OF SUNSHINE...HIGH TEMPERATURES LOOK TO BE 85-90 IN VALLEY AREAS...AND 80-85 HIGHER TERRAIN. THE ATMOSPHERE LOOKS CAPPED SO WHILE THERE WILL AVAILABLE FUEL/ENERGY FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...IT APPEARS VERY UNLIKELY. MIGHT BE AN ISOLATED SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN BUT EVEN HERE WE FEEL THE CHANCES ARE LESS THAN 15 PERCENT. IN THE GRIDS...DID DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN A 14 POP ACROSS ELEVATIONS HIGHER THAN 1000 FEET VERSUS LOWER ELEVATIONS (1000 FEET AND UNDER) WHERE WE ONLY WENT WITH A 5 POP. EITHER WAY...THURSDAY LOOKS MAINLY DRY BUT WARM. A SOMEWHAT MUGGY NIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY POSSIBLY HIGHER TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY. BY FRIDAY...IT LOOKS AS IF ANOTHER WEAK FRONT WILL BE PRESSING INTO OUR REGION FROM THE NORTH BY LATE IN THE DAY. ADIABATIC COMPRESSION OF THIS FRONT SLIDING SOUTHWARD SHOULD WARM H850 TEMPS A POINT OR SO. ALSO...MIXING LOOKS TO BE BETTER...PERHAPS TO THE 5000 FOOT OR HIGHER LEVEL. THEREFORE...WITH SOME SUNSHINE WE FIGURE ON TEMPS AROUND 90 MOST VALLEY AREAS...WELL INTO THE 80S HIGHER TERRAIN. APPARENT TEMPERATURES LOOK TO REACH THE UPPER 90S IN THE MID HUDSON VALLEY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...LOWER TO MID 90S MOST OTHER VALLEY LOCATIONS. THEREFORE IT DOES NOT APPEAR WE WILL REACH HEAT ADVISORY. WILL MENTION THE POSSIBILITY OF COMING CLOSE IN THE MID HUDSON VALLEY IN OUR HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK (HWO). THUNDERSTORM CHANCES LOOK SLIM AGAIN FRIDAY...BUT WITH THE COLD FRONT APPROACHING...WE WENT WITH SLIGHT CHANCES DURING THE AFTERNOON INTO EARLY FRIDAY EVENING. THIS FRONT LOOKS TO BE A SHALLOW FEATURE SO WE BELIEVE ANY FORCING WILL ALSO BE SHALLOW. WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING WE CONFINE ANY LATER EVENING CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF ALBANY WHERE THE ACTUAL FRONT LOOKS TO BE AT THAT TIME. OVERNIGHT LOWS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT GENERALLY LOOK TO BE IN THE 60S. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT WILL LIFT BACK AS A WARM FRONT NORTHWARD ACROSS THE REGION AS WE BEGIN THIS FIRST FULL WEEKEND OF AUGUST. THIS WILL USHER IN A MORE HUMID AIRMASS INTO THE REGION ALONG WITH A CHANCE FOR SOME CONVECTION. AS 850MB TEMPS CLIMB INTO THE UPPER TEENS...THIS SHOULD EQUATE TO SURFACE TEMPS WELL INTO THE 80S WITH SOME VALLEY REGIONS TOUCHING 90F. THE SYSTEM MOVING ASHORE ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA APPEARS TO BE WELL SAMPLED AND ANALYZED BY THE GLOBAL MODELS THIS MORNING. THERE IS AN INCREASE CONSENSUS THAT THIS SYSTEM WILL TRACK ALONG THE U.S./CANADIAN BORDER AND JUST NORTH OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION THIS WEEKEND. A STRENGTHENING COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH WESTERN NY AND THE OHIO VALLEY LATER SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH AN INCREASED THREAT FOR CONVECTION. SHEAR PROFILES INCREASED BETWEEN 25-40KTS WHICH FAVORS AND ORGANIZED EVENT FOR THE REGION SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. FURTHERMORE...PWATS ARE PROGGED TO CLIMB TOWARD 2 INCHES WITH K-INDEX VALUES INTO THE UPPER 30S. THIS SIGNALS HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL TOO. WE WILL INCREASE POPS AND MENTION THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL. BY MONDAY INTO TUESDAY...FRONT SHOULD BE THROUGH THE REGION...WITH SOME POTENTIAL LOW LEVEL COOLING AND DRYING...SO HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S TO MID 80S. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL MUCH OF TODAY AT THE TAF SITES. SCATTERED AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED AS SEEN ON RADAR AND THESE ARE SLOW MOVING. TIMING A SHOWER/TSTM INTO A TAF SITE DIFFICULT SO VCSH FROM 20Z ON. SHOWERS/TSTMS DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET. KGFL HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF CLEARING TONIGHT AND WITH LIGHT WINDS EXPECT DENSE FOG. KALB WILL BE ON EDGE OF CLOUDS SO LIGHT FOG AROUND SUNRISE EXPECTED. KPOU AND KPSF WILL LIKELY SEE LAYER OF CLOUDS WITH A LOW DECK AROUND 1000 FT MSL DEVELOPING AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOME LIGHT FOG AS WELL. FOG STRATUS EXPECTED TO BURN OFF ALL SITES BY 15Z TOMORROW. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS OR A LIGHT SOUTHERLY WIND EXPECTED 10 KT OR LESS THROUGH THE DAYLIGHT HOURS OF WEDNESDAY. WINDS BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE AGAIN TONIGHT. WINDS LIGHT AND VARIABLE TOMORROW. OUTLOOK... THU...VFR. NO SIG WX. FRI-SUN...VFR/MVFR...CHC SHRA/TSRA. BEST CHC ON SUN. && .FIRE WEATHER... A WEAKENING FRONT WILL NEVERTHELESS BRING THE LIKELIHOOD OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WITH MANY AREAS RECEIVING A QUARTER INCH OR MORE OF RAINFALL BY TONIGHT. MAXIMUM RH VALUES WILL BE 85 TO 95% DURING THE EARLY MORNING AND FALL TO AROUND 60% WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE SOUTHERLY AT 5 TO 15 MPH. A FULL RECOVERY OVERNIGHT WITH RH VALUES BACK UP TO NEAR 100 PERCENT. THURSDAY LOOKS MAINLY DRY...VERY WARM BUT THE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE SOMEWHAT ELEVATED...DROPPING DOWN TO 45-50 PERCENT DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE WIND LOOKS LIGHT AND VARIABLE 10 MPH OR LESS. FRIDAY WILL BE A HOT ONE..AGAIN WITH RH VALUES IN THE 40-50 PERCENT DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE WIND WILL TURN WESTERLY 5 TO 15 MPH. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AN AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORM. && .HYDROLOGY... NO SIGNIFICANT HYDRO PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY LATE TODAY THANKS TO A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT. PWAT VALUES LOOK TO BE AROUND 1.75 INCHES. AVERAGE BASIN RAINFALL LOOKS TO BE AROUND A QUARTER TO HALF AN INCH SO AT THIS POINT...WE ARE NOT ANTICIPATING ANY IMPACT ON MAIN RIVERS AND STREAMS. HOWEVER...ANY THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL EXCEEDING AN INCH IN SPOTS. MAINLY DRY THURSDAY WITH ANY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE SOUTH OF ALBANY WITH AGAIN LITTLE OR NO IMPACT ON THE OVERALL ALBANY WATERSHED. JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AN AFTERNOON SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO EVENING AND AGAIN SATURDAY. BY SUNDAY THE THREAT INCREASE A LITTLE AS A STRONGER COLD FRONT HEAD OUR WAY. OVERALL...NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR MID SUMMER...WITH SCATTERED COVERAGE. FOR DETAILS ON SPECIFIC AREA RIVERS AND LAKES...INCLUDING OBSERVED AND FORECAST RIVER STAGES AND LAKE ELEVATIONS...PLEASE VISIT THE ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/ GRAPHS ON OUR WEBSITE. && .ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...NONE. NY...NONE. MA...NONE. VT...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HWJIV/WASULA NEAR TERM...WASULA SHORT TERM...HWJIV LONG TERM...BGM AVIATION...SND FIRE WEATHER...HWJIV HYDROLOGY...HWJIV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 125 PM EDT WED AUG 1 2012 CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066- 082>084-VTZ013>015-021100- NORTHERN LITCHFIELD-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD-NORTHERN BERKSHIRE- SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE-NORTHERN HERKIMER-HAMILTON-SOUTHERN HERKIMER- SOUTHERN FULTON-MONTGOMERY-NORTHERN SARATOGA-NORTHERN WARREN- NORTHERN WASHINGTON-SCHOHARIE-WESTERN SCHENECTADY- EASTERN SCHENECTADY-SOUTHERN SARATOGA-WESTERN ALBANY-EASTERN ALBANY- WESTERN RENSSELAER-EASTERN RENSSELAER-WESTERN GREENE-EASTERN GREENE- WESTERN COLUMBIA-EASTERN COLUMBIA-WESTERN ULSTER-EASTERN ULSTER- WESTERN DUTCHESS-EASTERN DUTCHESS-NORTHERN FULTON-SOUTHEAST WARREN- SOUTHERN WASHINGTON-BENNINGTON-WESTERN WINDHAM-EASTERN WINDHAM- 125 PM EDT WED AUG 1 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT...WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A CHANCE OF MAINLY NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. ANY THUNDERSTORM THAT DOES FORM WILL MOVE SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST AROUND 20 MPH. SOME LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. APPARENT TEMPERATURES...WHICH COMBINES HEAT AND HUMIDITY...ARE FORECAST TO REACH THE UPPER 90S ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN THE HUDSON VALLEY AND LOWER LITCHFIELD COUNTY. IF THE APPARENT TEMPERATURES LOOK TO REACH A 100 DEGREES OR HIGHER...A HEAT ADVISORY WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THIS AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. FOR THE LATEST UPDATES...PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/ALBANY
The Albany radar (KENX), 27 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:50 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and wires were reported down due to thunderstorm winds on McClellan and Bradley streets in Schenectady. Newspaper media also reported that the downed trees forced police to shut down a portion of McClellan Street for cleanup.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, August 2012
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 395308.